Yanagawa

Yanagawa is a charming former castle town about an hour south of Fukuoka, famous for its extensive network of canals and moats that date back over 400 years. The highlight is the donko-bune river cruise, where visitors relax in flat-bottomed boats poled by gondoliers through narrow waterways lined with weeping willows, old warehouses, and seasonal flowers. The 70-minute ride passes under numerous bridges and through picturesque scenery that changes beautifully with each season. Yanagawa is equally celebrated for its unagi (eel) cuisine, particularly the local specialty seiro-mushi, steamed eel on rice in a lacquered box. The preserved samurai district and the former villa of poet Kitahara Hakushu add cultural depth to a visit.